The programs listed below offer regional youth hands-on experiences in STEM.
Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering (ASE), run by the Portland-based Saturday Academy coordinates several summer internships for motivated high school students in Central Oregon. Internships are eight-week, full-time summer positions, designed by working professionals in STEM fields.
Cascades East Area Health Education Center offers several experiential programs for students interested in careers in the health sciences, including internships, job shadows, and a Diagnosis Day.
The annual Inventerprise Contest sponsored by Bend Research poses a question to spark the imaginations of would-be scientists, challenging them to pursue inventive solutions to pressing problems. Typically held in the fall, the contest is open to all Central Oregon students in grades K–12, including home-schooled students.
OGPC is the only state-wide game programming competition in Oregon! It introduces middle and high school students to the principles of STEAM while working together to produce something greater than the sum of the parts. Teams of three to seven middle or high school students create computer games designed to be fun, challenging, and innovative around a socially responsible annual theme. Teams present their games to industry professionals and are awarded prizes in several categories during a statewide competition in April.